Roadshow: Fender-bender tales that are hard to believe

Q Have you ever awakened knowing that something bad was going to happen that day?

Jeannie Mullins

San Jose

A Oh, most definitely yes. What's your story?

Q One day many years ago, I was driving to San Francisco to have lunch with friends near Union Square. On the way to San Francisco, I spilled coffee on the front of my dress. DARN!

Jeannie Mullins

A Darn, indeed.

Q I thought this was the bad thing, but I was able to wipe it off and it didn't show. Whew! I thought, the "bad" thing happened, now I can relax.

Jeannie Mullins

A No chance.

Q Since I rarely drive to San Francisco, I had my brother write out directions for me. When I got to the offramp in San Francisco, the streets were closed for repair and I had to take a detour. Luckily I found my way to the Union Square parking garage. Another "save."

Jeannie Mullins

A Hah!

Q After a lovely lunch, I went to my car, only to find I had locked the keys in my car. Double darn!!

Jeannie Mullins

A That's not exactly the language I would have used.

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Q Not to worry. I had an extra car key in my purse. Whew. I sat in my car and said: "Dear Lord, please get me to San Jose safely." I did, but as I was driving down Vine Street on my way home I stopped at a red light behind a police car.

I thought, "Great. I will just follow him onto Almaden Expressway." While sitting there I watched big palm trees being planted -- quite fascinating, by the way. The light turned green, the patrol car started to roll, I took one more glance at the palm tree going into the huge hole and then it happened -- BAM! I rear-ended the COP! He had stopped and to this day I don't know why, OH #&*$@! why.

I was dating a policeman at the time and thought, "Oh, no, he's going to be the one to write me the ticket." Well, he didn't show up but five other patrol cars did.

I think they all wanted to see the crazy woman who rear-ended their buddy. Anyway, I got a ticket, went home with $1,500 damage to my car and $259 to the police car. Sometime later I was sued by the city for car damage and for physical therapy the officer had to have for a sore elbow ($2,500).

Thank God AAA took care of everything. I went to traffic school and got a big reaction when I had to tell why I was there. I should have listened to my intuition and stayed home that day.

Jeannie Mullins

A A big 10-4 on that.

"You'll never believe what hit my car ..." (AP)

Q I have the ultimate fender-bender story. Many years ago I took my children to the opening of a shopping center in Scotts Valley because they were having sky divers to celebrate. As the first sky diver landed he was yelling that one of the other young men had lost one of his steering lines and did not have control of his chute.

We watched as he came down, headed straight for my car. He hit the front wheel well, caving in the side. The sky diver had a severely broken ankle that required surgery.

I called my insurance agent, who swore he had heard them all -- until he heard my story.

Brunella Deeds

Felton

A And ...

Q In the mid-'70s, as a new driver in my parents' red Pontiac LeMans, I was trying to get into the underground parking garage at Mills Hospital in San Mateo. There was a man in a small ticket booth at the entrance and as I made the sharp turn into the garage I scraped the left side of the car on the booth he was in.

The sound echoed throughout the garage and sounded horrible! I was so flustered. The man tried to direct me in turning the wheel of the car so I could back out and try again at entering at a better angle. But in doing so, I managed to scrape the right side of the car on the huge cement pillar opposite the man's booth, making an equally awful, loud, screeching, echoing sound throughout the garage once again.

I think I was in tears by that point and really don't remember how I finally got the car out of its wedged-in position. My parents had a hard time understanding how I managed to damage both sides of the car in one event.

Debbie Fthenakis

A That I can understand. If anyone has more unusual fender-bender tales, please share them with us.